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Proposal to "ban the box" passed by Travis Commissioners

Today the Travis County Commissioners Court officially approved a proposal to eliminate questions about past criminal history on initial employment screenings, reports the Austin Statesman ("County takes crime question off job applications," April 22):That question will be asked later in the application process for jobs unsuitable for people with a criminal past ? such as handling county funds or records ? in what the commissioners and some public safety officials said was a step to help make Travis County safer. Employment is often cited as a key factor in keeping people who have been convicted of a crime from committing another. District Attorney Ronnie Earle was among those who said the change would improve public safety. County Judge Sam Biscoe, the chairman of the Commissioners Court and chief architect of the change, said some county managers were disqualifying applicants based on checking the criminal-background box before checking other qualifications or whether the criminal background was even relevant to the job...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on April 22, 2008 (boomark / email).